Robert Morris extends winning streak; Kahliel Spear hits 1,000

For Robert Morris, reaching the .500 mark in the Horizon League men’s basketball standings this late in the season could be a reason to celebrate.

Just don’t tell coach Andy Toole.

“When you’re worried about making the right play for the team, you’re not worried about stats,” Toole said Sunday after the Colonials held on to beat Oakland, 68-63, at UPMC Events Center, matching their longest winning streak of the season at three.

Kahliel Spear posted his eighth double-double and fourth in the past seven games by scoring a career-high 30 points and getting 11 rebounds to lead Robert Morris (11-12, 6-6).

Spear became the 15th players at Robert Morris to total 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career. He is the school’s 26th 1,000-point scorer.

The Colonials never were at .500 against Horizon opponents in a season after four league games since joining in 2020-21.

“Just trying to get better,” Toole said. “Really, that’s all we’re trying to talk about.”

With eight regular-season games left, starting at home Thursday night against Horizon co-leader Northern Kentucky, Toole said, “We’re just trying to keep our focus as small as possible.”

Robert Morris moved into a tie with Purdue Fort Wayne and Wright State for sixth place in the 11-team Horizon League.

“We started to play some very good basketball in December,” Toole said. “After the Fort Wayne game (75-70 RMU victory Dec. 29), we had a stretch where we kind of lost the focus on what was most important. We’ve talked about trying to regain that, and I think in some ways we have.

“But, it’s an extremely fragile thing. There are so many ups and downs over the course of the season. You’ve got to just hang on as tight as you can and try to do whatever you can to keep that mindset working.”

Oakland (9-14, 7-5), which was led by Jalen Moore’s 24 points, nearly rallied in the closing minutes, coming within 66-63 on a hook shot in the paint by Trey Townsend, who scored 30 points in the Golden Grizzlies’ 69-65 victory over Robert Morris on Jan. 12 in Rochester, Mich.

In that game, Oakland trailed late before scoring the final six points to come out on top.

In the teams’ latest meeting, Moore missed a potential tying 3-point attempt with 11 seconds left, and Josh Corbin’s two free throws for Robert Morris with 2 seconds to go sealed the outcome.

Rocky Watts added 13 points, and Keaton Hervey finished with 12 for Oakland, which couldn’t take advantage of 13 Robert Morris turnovers, 12 combined by point guards Enoch Cheeks and Michael Green III.

Cheeks countered with six points, four steals, three assists and two blocks. Green came off the bench to contribute five points and team-leading eight assists.

Robert Morris’ largest lead was 61-51 on a basket by Jackson Last with 6:39 remaining before Oakland nearly duplicated its late-game heroics in the earlier victory over the Colonials.

The first half started as a defensive struggle with neither team breaking double digits in scoring until Spear threw down the first of two consecutive dunks with 8:04 left in the half to give the Colonials an 11-6 lead.

Oakland went scoreless for the first 4:15 but twice led briefly before Robert Morris, which clung to a 29-27 halftime lead, regained the upper hand for good.

In his five seasons at the Division I level, Spear has scored 1,187 points combined at Robert Morris and Bucknell, including 1,015 in 73 games at RMU, an average of 13.9 points.

“It’s big time, though you always want to win and put team first,” he said. “But when you see your work pay off, when your individual accomplishments and your goals come true, it’s really rewarding. It’s humbling.”

The victory was just the second for Robert Morris in 10 games against Oakland. It also was the Colonials’ second win in three days at UPMC Events Center.

On Friday, Spear, a 6-foot-7 fifth-year forward and preseason all-Horizon second-team pick, scored 25 points to lead Robert Morris to an 85-77 victory over Detroit Mercy.

On Sunday against Oakland, his dunk to open the second half sent him into the 1,000-point club.

His previous high in scoring was 27, accomplished twice, the last during an 80-59 victory at Wright State on Dec. 1 to open Horizon play.

Robert Morris shot 44.8% (26 for 58) and outrebounded Oakland, 35-31. Stephaun Walker added nine boards for the Colonials.